Sunday, April 15, 2007

Garry Kasparov detained at opposition march in Russia

MOSCOW,Russia - The former world chess champion Gary Kasparov was detained by the Russian police on Saturday as supporters of his organization tried to hold a forbidden protest march in Moscow.Kasparov was seen inside a police van,after his arrest, waving and smiling to journalists clustered outside on the edge of Pushkin Square. The former world chess champion Gary Kasparov heads the United Civil Front opposition organization, which aimed to hold a massive anti-Putin protest march in alliance with other opposition groups in Russia.Russian police said 170 people had been detained but,Marina Litvinovich,a Kasparov aide, said as many as 600 people were detained.Litvinovich said about half were released quickly. Gary Kasparov was seized as he tried to lead a small group of demonstrators through lines of police ringing Pushkin Square, was freed late Saturday after he was fined $38 for participating in the rally.